Snatchers
Formerly a nuisance to some and unnoticed by most, Wheel Bugs have turned into the deadly snatchers, who have shown a taste for human flesh in the years since the war. Ambushing their prey, they are easily able of snapping a person's ankle and letting their enzymes incapacitate them as it feeds. Biology Snatchers have mutated moderately from their predecessors, with the most notable feature being their size. They can now reach the size of a common house-cat, and move at speeds of up to nine miles an hour. They prefer to sit in ambush of their food however, often hiding under debris until an unsuspecting creatures comes into range, then they lunge at it, pinning it with their legs while injecting it with acidic enzymes. These too have undergone a change, as they know work much faster, and give off a distinctive, smell, possibly to alert other Snatchers as to it's territory. The creatures begin to breed in the Autumn, though have been observed to start earlier. A female can lay up to sixty eggs in a clutch, which is far less than her pre-war counterpart, while still facing the same threat from predators and parasites. A newly hatched snatcher takes five months and four molts to reach maturity, although only twelve percent from each clutch do this on average. Appearance Snatchers retain the distinctive wheel shape of their ancestors, as well as the gray color of their chitin. They can grow to stand 18" in height, and spread out to twenty from leg to leg. They have a cluster of eyes on their face as well a proboscis, and while they posses wings, these have become largely vestigial, as they cannot support their added weight. Offensive Capabilities Snatchers posses surprising speed, which they utilize to quickly capture their prey, before injecting it. This is used primarily in feeding and also when fighting over mates or territory, with males charging each other and trying to inject their enzymes. They are aggressive in the wild, and will rarely refrain from attacking humans that wander too close. Defensive Capabilities Snatchers rely primarily on their chitin to defend them, as well as their speed. If a larger predator has their cornered however, the bugs might inject themselves, so their foe dies upon consuming them, though this does not work against others of the species. Diet Snatchers are entirely carnivorous, and feed primarily on other insects, such as Radroaches, Bloatflies, and Breeder Bugs, but will attack Mole Rats and humans when encountered. Due to their size, they have to feed every three hours on average, especially during mating season to maintain their energy to challenge rivals. The species is cannibalistic and does feed on it's self, which occurs frequently during mating. Habitat Snatchers live primarily in the south-east region of the former United States, Primarily northern Georgia, South Carolina, and southern North Carolina. pre-war Wheel Bugs had been reported in Mexico and Guatemala, though it is unknown if the post-war species live there. Category:Creatures